Former governor Sindh Imran Ismail quits PTI, politics

Imran Ismail, the former governor of Sindh, left the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday and condemned the violence that followed the arrest of Imran Khan on May 9, Aaj News reported.

In what he termed his last political press conference, Ismail highlighted that he saw massive rises and falls in his own political struggle.

“I do not know my forward in politics,” he admitted.

“Someone has to take responsibility for May 9 events and the culprits should be punished,” he said. “We stand with the martyrs of the country.”

Earlier on Saturday, Ali Haider Zaidi announced his decision to quit politics and resign from positions within the party.

The initial purpose for joining politics was to contribute to the betterment of Pakistan, he said in a video message.

Affirming his commitment to serving Pakistan, Ali said he has already condemned the May 9 incidents.

“Whatever happened was wrong, and all those responsible should be brought to justice regardless of who was involved in it,” he said.

“After much deliberation, I have made the decision to quit politics. Consequently, when I step away from politics, I will also tender my resignation from positions held within the PTI, including my role as an MNA and core committee member.”

“I will bring foreign investments. I have been doing this, bringing foreign exchange and exports to the country, in the past before joining politics.

The development comes following Imran’s arrest on May 9 in a case pertaining to the Al-Qadir Trust.

Since Imran’s arrest, and subsequent bail, several PTI leaders and supporters have been detained and later released.

Moreover, dozens of lawmakers and senior politicians have left the party. The resignations include founding members, core committee leads, media strategists, and members of the social media teams, all of whom have been seen as crucial to the party.

These include Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Shireen Mazari, Fayyaz Chohan, Firdous Ashiq Awan and many others.